St Patrick’s Holy Well at Marlfield Clonmel

Apr12

St Patrick’s well is located close to the village of Marlfield, a few miles outside of the town of Clonmel. It is well is signposted and can be accessed from the Cahir to Clonmel road and from the Marlfield village.

St Patrick’s well is located beside a stream at the base of a limestone cliff. This is a really lovely peaceful spot. As well as being a place of pilgrimage (excuse the pun) it is also a focal point on hot sunny days for families and children who come here to hang out and paddle in the icy waters of the man-made pond beside the well. I had hoped to write a post about the well for St Patrick’s day but unfortunately the time just got away from me, so better late then never.

Modern Landscape

To access the well you climb down modern steps built into the side the cliff face. The steps provide a great vantage point for views of the site.

View of St Patrick’s well from top of steps

At the bottom of the steps there is a large statue of St Patrick who gazes serenely across at the holy well.

Statue of St Patrick

People often leave votive offerings at the statue and on the day I visited there was a large rosary beads draped around the statue’s neck and children’s shoes and a candle at the base.

The rest of the site consists of a bubbling spring well defined by a tear shaped stone walls whose waters flow through a small stone channel which in turn flows into a large man-made pond.

Interior of St Patrick’s holy well

The water flows through two long hallowed-out granite water spouts. Conn Manning (2007, 13) has identified the stones as flumes from an early medieval horizontal mill.

The water from the well flows through flumes from an early medieval horizontal mill

The water that fills the well comes from an underground stream and the force of the water is very strong and would have been sufficient to power a mill without a need of a millpond (Manning 2007, 13). Perhaps the well had a more practical function before becoming a place of devotion.

The water from the well flows through the flumes and through a modern stone lined channel which flows into a large pond. At the centre of the pond is a small undecorated early medieval stone cross .

Beside the large pond are the ruins of a small church of late medieval date. This may have been used as a parish church in medieval times and appears to have been used as a place of worship until the 18th century. The building is rectangular in plan and built of limestone rubble. The exterior has been re-pointed and the building has undergone restoration in modern times. The church and the well belonged to the nearby Cistercian abbey of Inishlounaght. The abbey was founded in the 12th century by Donal O’Brien the King of Munster and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The abbey no longer survives but its site is located at the first fruits Church of Ireland on the banks of the Suir in Marlfield village.

The church is entered through a doorway with hooded moulding in the west gable, which has been rebuilt in modern times.

Doorway in the west gable of the church

Within the church there is a late medieval alter tomb which came originally from the White Mortuary Chapel in St Mary’s church in Clonmel. The tomb was brought here following the demolition of the chapel in 1805.

Interior of St Patrick’s church prior to modern restorations by Robert French from The Laurence Collection National Museum of Ireland http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000339063

Incorporated into the east gable are a number of architectural fragments such as window heads which came from the abbey of Inishlounaght and also an armorial plaque .

East gable of St Patrick’s church

The Landscape of the Well in the 19th and early 20th century

The landscape we see today at St Patrick well is a relatively new creation and has changed drastically in the last 50 years or so.

Photo dating to circa 1900’s showing the original landscape of St Patrick’s well. Taken by Robert French (1841-1917) in The Lawrence Photograph Collection National Library of Ireland http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000339062

In 1914 Power described the well as a

great basin filled to the brim with bubbling crystal water.., close by it in the march is a stunted, rude and early celtic cross which marks a penitential station.

Photo of St Patrick’s well taken by Robert French (1841-1917) in The Lawrence Photograph Collection National Library of Ireland http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000333667

Early 20th century images of the well suggest it was originally surrounded by a low circular enclosing wall with a large ash tree growing out of the side of the well. The site had a rather beautiful wild and natural appearance but would have been marshy underfoot.

The remodelling of the site began in the 1956 with the addition of the statue of St Patrick described above. The majority of the works took place in the late 1960’s, undertaken by the St Patrick’s day society with financial aid from the Mayor of Los Angles Sam Vorty. Vorty’s mother was Johanna Egan formerly of Love Lane in Clonmel who emigrated to America and who often talked to her son about this well. Following her death he contacted the Society of St Patrick’s day in Clonmel and offered financial help in improving the well.

With the funding provided by the Mr Vorty, Mr Armand Hammer and the Irish Israeli society from South California, the St Patrick’s day society instigated a ‘clean up’ and remodelling and landscaping of the site which resulted in its current appearance.

Plaque dedicated to restoration and landscaping of St Patrick’s well

Evidence for pilgrimage

I am a bit short of time this week so I have decided to discuss the well’s association with St Patrick in another post.

St Patrick’s well is not mentioned in any early medieval documents prior to the 12th century. The earliest direct reference to pilgrimage was recorded in 1619 when Pope Paul V granted the a plenary indulgence to all pilgrims visiting St Patrick’s church, provided they went to confession and communion and visited the church on the feast of Pentecost or on the feast day of St Patrick, any time from Vespers to sunset on the feast.

The Ordnance Survey letters written by John Donovan who visited the site in the 1840’s notes

it is still esteemed holy and visited by pilgrims far and near for the cure of disease especially headaches.

St Patrick’s well

The waters of the well are renowned for healing properties. In 1813 the well was described as follows

there is an excellent mineral spring and a well which is celebrated for curing sore lips, sore eyes, the srofula* and several chronic diseases either by drinking or washing in the stream that issues from it. Thousands flock here in summertime from all places astound to pilgrimage in the stream.

Others who visited the well recorded that clusters of stones within the stream along with the early medieval cross marked the pilgrim stations. It was also custom like at so many 19th and 20th century pilgrim sites for people to perform their pilgrimage in their bare feet.

O’Donovan’s visit appears to have coincided with the pilgrimage of a man who had developed a head ache having joined the temperance movement. He noted the man’s ritual washing in the waters to obtain a cure.

The day I visited it there was at it for the cure of a headache, which he got since he joined Father Mathew. He washed his hands, head and feet in the stream at the point where it issues form the well.

Hall writing in 1842 notes

It was once a favourite resort for pilgrims but it now quiet deserted

While the The Dublin University Magazine in 1953 states

Pilgrims in former days resorted to this spot.

These accounts suggest the well was still visited but by local people in the mid 19th century but the hinterland of the shrine was in decline. The fortunes of the well change in the early 20th century with a revival in devotion at the well.

Image of St Patrick built into enclosing well wall at St Patrick’s well Marlfield

I will come back to St Patrick’s well very soon and discuss its connections with St Patrick, 20th century and modern pilgrimage to the site and any new sources for past pilgrimage

References

*Scrofula was a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck caused TB.

Anon. 1853. The Dublin University Magazine Vol. 42, page 332.

Farrelly, J. 2011. ‘St Patrick’s well TS083-004′ RMP Files’, http://www.archaeology.ie

Hall, S.C. 1842, Ireland its Scenery and Character etc. London: How and Parsons.

Manning, C. ‘Could well be a mill’ [St. Patrick’s Well, nr. Clonmel, Co. Tipperary & St Brigit’s well nr. Tully, Co. Kildare. Stone flumes], Vol. 21. No. 1, 12-15.

O’ Flanagan, Rev. M. (Complier) 1930. Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Tipperary collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840. 3 Vols. Bray: Typescript.

Power, Rev. P. 1914. Life of St. Declan of Ardmore and Life of St. Mochuda of
Lismore. With introduction, translation and notes. London: Irish Texts Society

St Berrihert’s Kyle Co Tipperary Part 1: The Archaeological remains

Feb19

The 18th of February is the feast day of St Berrihert/Berrahert of the parish of Ardane, Co Tipperary. An Anglo-Saxon saint, he is traditionally believed to have come to Ireland in the seventh century following the Synod of Whitby. To mark the saint’s feast this two-part blog post will explore the archaeological remains and the evidence pilgrimage at a site associated with the site, known as St Berrihert’s Kyle in Co Tipperary.

1st ed OS map of St Berrahert’s Kyle/Berrihert’s Kyle 1840

Location

St Berrihert’s Kyle is one of Tipperary’s best hidden treasure. The site is located in the townland of Ardane, in the parish of Templeneiry. It is difficult to find as there is no signposting. It is located close to the village of Ardane.

From the main road, you will see a sign for “Golden Mile, Winner 2003”, turn left on the opposite road. Half a mile down this road is a gate with a no parking sign. Go through this gate and cross the first field (Be aware that there might be cows or bulls!). From there you will find the wooden trail that will lead you to the Kyle and the Well (visitballyhoura.com).

Who is St Berrihert?

It is suggested that St Berrihert came to Ireland following the Synod of Whitby (Ó HÉaildhe 1967, 104). He is named in some documents as brother of the Saxon saint Garailt of Mayo (Ó Riain 2011, 103). He is associated with a number of places in the south of Ireland mainly around Co Cork. He is likely also to be the same saint as St Berichter the patron of an early medieval ecclesiastical site at Tullylease in the barony of Duhallow, Co Cork. An interesting cross slab of 8th/9th century date survives at Tullylease. The stone has an elaborate decorated cross and the text of with a prayer for Beirchachtuire an Irish version of the Anglo-Saxon Beorhtwine.

Tullylease Cross slab. Image taken from http://www.irishmegaliths.org.uk/crosspillars2.htm

The Annals of the Four Masters records the death of a cleric with this name at the site in 839,

Berichtir of Tulach Leis died on the 6th of December.

The Martyrologies of Donegal and Gorman record the saint feast day as the 6th of December. His feast was honoured on the 18th of February at St Berrihert’s Kyle, the subject of this post, and at the 15th of February in West Kerry. The variation of feast day perhaps indicates ‘ that the cult had become entwined with that of Bearach of Termonbarry‘ whose feast is on the 15th of February (Ó Riain 2011, 102).

St Berrihert’s Kyle

St Berrihert’s Kyle is located on farm land. To approach the site you must cross through two fields. The land is boggy but a timber path marks the way. There are often horses or cattle in the field.

Path approaching the St Berrihert’s Kyle

The Kyle through the years

The Kyle is the oval area enclosed by an earthen bank and contains a large number of early medieval cross slabs. The landscape of this area has changed in the last 100 years or so.

In 1907 Crawford described the area as ‘a circular enclosure in a field west of the well and greatly overgrown with oak tress and thorn bushes‘. He also noted that all the carved stones, which he counted 22 have been collected and built into a station (Crawford 1907, 61).

Cross slab at St Berrihert’s Kyle in 1907 ( after Crawford 1907)

The photo above dates to 1907, it shows the site as very overgrown with a large number of the cross slabs placed in front of a small tree covered in rags. Crawford( 1907, 62) mentions the tree was a thorn-bush and that a series of offerings were left here including statuettes, vases, cups and toy-teapots.

A second photo from the Limerick City Museum collection show that the cross slabs had been moved and built up into a station in front of a wall. A large rectangular stone was placed in front of the crosses . This photo is dated to between 1896-1910 and on the reverse image in pencil ‘Berrihert’s Kyle Co. Tipp. 1936’.

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Photo of Crosses at St Berrihert’s Kyle dated 1936 ( from http://museum.limerick.ie/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/8087)

The site today

Today the landscape of the site owes much to work carried out in 1946 by the Office of Public Works/OPW who “cleaned up the site”. They cleared the enclosure of bushes and vegetation. Then they collected all the crosses and built them into a circular stone structure which incorporates a large oak tree, to protect the crosses from cattle at the south end of the site. The walls are full of cross slabs and it has an ancient look to it.

Stone structure built by OPW in 1946

The stone structure is entered via a style, beside a large oak tree. Ó HÉailidhe (1967, 103) recorded 72 cross inscribed stone at the site but only 67 were noted by the Tipperary Survey in 2011 suggesting some may be missing.

Interior of stone enclosure showing the stone crosses incorporated into the walls.

The majority of the crosses depict a simple Latin cross on a single face. A small number have decoration on both faces.

Close up of cross slabs at St Berrihert’s Kyle.

A larger rectangular stone with one hollow depression is found within the stone enclosure, in front of the head of a high cross which is incorporated into the wall. The surface of the bullaun stone is covered by trinkets left by pilgrims and includes holy statues, small toys, coins and crystals .

Bullaun stone in interior of circular stone enclosure at St Berrihert’s Kyle

A large egg-shaped stone sits in the hollow of the bullaun stone. These egg stones occurs at other pilgrim sites and are known as cursing stones.

Egg shaped stone in the bullaun stone.

A holly tree within the enclosure is covered rags and ribbons tied by modern pilgrims.

Rag tree within circular stone structure at St Berriherts Kyle.

The presence of such a large number of cross slabs at the site may suggest the presence of a monastic settlement. There are no upstanding remains of any buildings at the site. If this was a monastic site it is possible the buildings were built of wood. In the 1940’s the ground surface of the Kyle was lowered and the soil from this area was used to build a causeway across the bog to the nearby St Berrihert’s well. The OPW recorded no trace of walls when lowering the ground level at the site. It is impossible to know what damage this act did to any sub-surface archaeological remains that may have been present.

Around the edge of the Kyle are a number of small stone cairns surmounted by a cross slab. These cairns were created in 1940’s to mark stations of the cross but there were not part of the original pilgrim stations at the site .

Cairn with cross slab built in 1946.

The central area of the Kyle is defined by stone curbing which demarcate a children’s burial ground.

Kerbing at the site.

St Berrihert’s holy well

The nearby holy well is dedicated to St Berrihert and is located a short distance from the Kyle. The path is marked by a timber track through marshy ground.

Path leading from the Kyle to the nearby St Berrihert’s holy well.

The path continues crossing over a small bridge.

Bridge over stream to on way to St Berrihert’s holy well

The well is a large circular pool is found in a surrounded by trees and defined by an earthen bank in the NE-NW.

St Berrihert’s holy well.

Some of the trees are decorated offering left by modern pilgrims and range from ribbons, rags, socks and toys.

Rag tree at St Berrihert’s Kyle.

The well is formed from limestone springs and the waters bubble forth giving it a really magical appearance. This was very likely a place of prehistoric pilgrimage.

Bubbling water at St Berrihert’ well.

Coming soon is part II of this post, which will look at the history of pilgrimage at the site.

References

Crawford, H. S. 1907. ‘A descriptive list of the early Irish crosses’, JRSAI 37, 187-239.

ÓHÉailidhe, P. 1967. ‘The crosses and slabs at St Berrihert’s Kyle in the Glen of Aherlow’ in Rynne, E. North Munster Studies. Limerick: The Thomond Archaeology Society, 102-126.

1987.0727, Limerick Museum Catalogue, http://museum.limerick.ie/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/8087http://museum.limerick.ie/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/8087